FORMER MP Eric Joyce was sentenced today to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work for making an indecent image of a child.

The 59-year-old, who was the Labour MP for Falkirk between 2000 and 2012 and then sat in the Commons as an independent until 2015, had a 51-second film on his device showing penetrative sexual abuse of seven children, aged between 12 months and seven years old.

He had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing at Ipswich Crown Court to the offence, which took place between August 2013 and November 2018.

Judge Mr Justice Edissaid: “That these acts of abuse happened is because there are people like you who want to watch these films.

“If there was no market, those children wouldn’t be subjected to these very serious offences.”

The former army major was also given a sexual prevention order, an 18-day rehabilitation activity requirement and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £1,800.

A National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children spokesman said that Mr Joyce had helped “fuel a foul industry” and called for extra commitment from tech industries to prevent such material from being shared.